a) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a device for filling packages with flowable products under low germ level conditions in a clean room with a product line, a filler valve and a filler pipe projecting into the clean room.
b) Background Art
Filling devices are known which, although not operating under low germ level conditions, do have a filler valve and a filler pipe. Flowable products are also filled in using such devices, for example liquid foodstuffs such as milk, juice, or the like.
There is the desire in the food industry to make packages filled with liquid contents more long-lasting. There are already systems for this, for sterilizing milk and installations for aseptic filling thereof. The known filling devices used for this are susceptible of improvement in various respects. Known devices of this type are constructed in quite a complicated and costly manner, and are correspondingly difficult to use, apart from being sources of faults.
It has proved particularly disadvantageous that in operation, known filling devices form condensation, from the surrounding atmosphere, on the outside surface of the filler pipe because the product to be filled, for example, milk, is transported and filled at a lower temperature than the surrounding atmosphere. A temperature difference of even 5.degree. or 10.degree. C. is sufficient for condensation to form on the surface of the filler pipe. If liquid product is to be filled with a low level of germs, this formation of condensation must be prevented. The condensation comes from the outside atmosphere and inevitably contains bacteria which can drip with the condensation into the package.
In practice, a difference in temperature between the outside atmosphere and the product to be filled is often unavoidable.
The object of the invention is therefore to construct a device of the type described in the introduction for filling under low germ level conditions such that low germ level filling of liquid contents into packages is made possible without formation of condensation on filler pipes and preferably cleaning of the device is also made possible directly in place without needing a great deal of assembly.